Noble County, Indiana - The whole text, 1902 (part 5 of 21)

After some twenty-five or thirty years the G. R. &I. R. R. ran their line of road from this place up through Michigan, and they struck the dam at Rome City. Now is it not probable that they occupy about the same ground of the projected canal? If there are any persons now living who cleared up that part of your county, I should think they would recollect of seeing, some of the old excavations which were left.

These regiments were the Thirtieth, Forty-fourth, Seventy-fourth, Eightyeighth. One Hundredth, One Hundred and Twenty-ninth, One Hundred and Thirty-ninth, One Hundred and Fortysecond, One Hundred and Fifty-seconcl, Seventh Cavalry and Twelfth Cavalry. The Thirtieth was at first commanded by Col. Sion S. Bass. It first moved to Indianapolis, thence to Camp Xevin. Ky., thence to Munfofdsville and Bowling Green, and in March, 1862, to Nashville. It participated in the battle of Shiloh on the 7th of April, losing its colonel, who was succeeded by Col. J. B. Dodge. Here the regiment lost in killed, wounded and missing about 130 men. It participated in the siege of Corinth, and moved with Buell's army through northern Alabama, Tennessee and Kentucky, and also pursued Bragg. It took part in the three days' battle at Stone River, losing heavily ; and also at Chattanooga and Chickamauga, suffering severely at the latter place. It was in the campaign against Atlanta, fighting in all the battles. At Atlanta it was consolidated into a residuary battalion of seven companies, under command of Col. H. W. Lawton. It fought against Hood at Nashville, and pursued him to Huntsville, thence moved into east Tennessee. In June, 1865. it was transferred to Texas. It was mustered out of service late in 1865.

The Forty-fourth, with H. B. Reed as moved to Indianapolis in Decemher, 1861, thence to Henderson, Ky., thence to Camp Calhoun, thence to Fort Henry, thence to Fort Donelson, in which hattle it suffered severely. It moved to Pittsburg Landing, and fought both days at Shiloh. losing thrity-three killed and one hundred and seventy-seven wounded. It fought often at the siege of Corinth, and pursued the enemy to Booneville. It moved with Buell and followed Bragg, fighting at Perryville. It skirmished at Russell's Hill, moved to Stone River, where it fought three days, losing eight killed, fifty-two wounded and twentyfive missing. It moved to Chattanooga, fought at Chickamauga, fought at Mission Ridge, losing in these engagements three killed, fifty-nine wounded and twenty missing. It did provost duty at Chattanooga, and was finally mustered out September, 1865. During the war it lost three hundred and fifty killed and wounded, and fifty-eight by disease. William C. Williams, Simeon C. Aldrich and James F. Curtis were its colonels at times.

The Seventy-fourth, in August. 1862, moved to Lousiville, Ky.. thence to Bowling Green. It pursued Bragg, and reached Gallatin on the 10th of November. Companies C and K joined the regiment in December. Before this these companies skirmished at Munfordsville, and with Bragg's advance on the 14th. Were captured, paroled and then joined the regiment. The regiment pursued Morgan, moved to' Gallatin, Nashville. Lavergne. Triune, moved against Tullahoma, and skimished at Hoover's Gap. It joined the campaign against Chattanooga, skirmished at Dug Gap, Ga. It was one of the first engaged at Chickamauga, and was the last to leave the field. It lost twenty killed, one hundred and twenty-nine wounded and eleven missing. It sirmished continuously at the siege of Chattanooga, and in the charge on Mission Ridge lost two killed and sixteen wounded. It pursued the enemy to Ringgold, Ga., participated in the reconnoissance on Buzzard's Roost, marched with Sherman on the Atlanta campaign, sirmishing and fighting at Dallas, Kenesaw and Lost Mountain, Peach Tree Creek, and many other places about Atlanta. It lost in this campaign forty-six men. It charged the enemy's works at Jonesboro, Ga., and lost thirteen killed and forty wounded. Many of the latter died. It pursued Hood, and skimished at Rocky Creek Church. It moved to North Carolina, and finally home via Washington, D. C.

The Eighty-eighth took the field in August, 1862. It defended Louisville against Kirby Smith, pursued Bragg, fought at Perryville and Stone River, doing splendid work at the latter battle, losing eight killed and forty-eight wounded. It fought or skirmished at Hoover's Gap, Tullahoma, Hillsboro, Elk River and Dug Gap. Ga. It fought desperately at Chickamauga. fought "among the clouds" on Lookout Mountain, charged at Mission Ridge, skirmished at Graysville and Ringgold. In the Atlanta campaign it was engaged at Buzzard's Roost, Resaca, Dallas. Kenesaw Mountain. Peach Tree Creek, and Atlanta and Utay Creek. It pursued Hood, marched with Sherman to the sea, campaigned through

The One Hundreth, in November, 1862, took the held at Memphis, Term. ; moved on the unsuccessful Yicksburg campaign ; did garrison duty at Memphis and vicinity ; participated in the siege of Vicksburg, and then in the five days' siege of Jackson. It moved to Vicksburg, thence to Memphis, thence to Stevenson and Bridgeport, thence to Trenton, Ga. It fought at Lookout Mountain, and then moved to Chattanooga. It fought at Mission Ridge, losing in killed and wounded one hundred and thirty-two men. It pursued Bragg' s arm}- ; relieved Burnside at Knoxville ; moved on the Atlanta campaign, fighting at Dalton, Snake Creek Gap, Resaca, Dallas, New Hope Church. Big Shanty, Kenesaw Mountain, Nickajack Creek, Chattahoochie River, Decatur, Atlanta, Cedar Bluffs, Jonesboro and Lovejoy Station, fighting- almost continuously for one hundred days. It pursued Hoed, joined the famous march to the sea, fought at Griswoldville, Ga., and Bentonville. X. C, then moved home via Richmond and Washington, D. C. The regiment fought in twenty-five battles.

The One Hundred and Twenty-ninth moved to Nashville, Tenn., .April, 1864, thence to Charleston, Tenn. It fought at Dalton, Resaca, skirmished for nearly two weeks through the woods and defiles near there, fought gallantly and lost heavily at Decatur, engaged the enemy at Strawberry Run. losing twenty-five killed and wounded. Tt pursued Hood, moved to the assistance of General Thomas, skirmished heavily at Columbia, and fought desperately at Franklin, one of the bloodiest battles of the war; fought in the two days' battle against General Hood, and joined in the pursuit. It then moved via Cincinnati and Washington, D. C, to Morehead City, thence to Newhern, and finally to Wise's Forks, where it j had a severe engagement with the enemy. It moved to Goldsboro, Morley Hall, Raleigh and Charlotte, where it was mustered out of service in August, 1865.

The One Hundred and Thirty-ninth entered the service at Indianapolis, June, 1864.. 1 It moved to Nashville, Tenn., and was assigned to> garrison and provost duty in the towns and along the railroads, and, in general, was required to guard Sherman's base of supplies. At the expiration of one hundred days the 'regiment left the service.

The One Hundred and Forty-second entered the service in November, 1864. It moved to Nashville, where it was assigned garrison duty. At the battle of Nashville the regiment was in reserve. After this, and until it was mustered out, it remained at Nashville.

The One Hundred and Fifty-second entered the service in March. 1865, moving to Harper's Ferry, in the vicinity of which place it was assigned garrison duty. It was stationed for short periods at Charlestown, Stevenson Station, Summit Point and Clarksburg, where it was mustered out in August, 1865.

The Seventh Cavalry took the field in 1 December. 1863-. It moved to Louisville, thence to Union City, Tenn. It skirmished at Paris, Egypt Station and near Okalona, fighting severely all day at the latter place. In one charge it left sixty of its men on the field. During the entire fight it lost eleven killed, thirty-six wounded and thirty-seven missing. It moved to Memphis, and finally to the support of Sherman's base of supplies. At Guntown, Miss., a desperate battle ensued, the regiment being driven back with a loss of eight killed, fifteen wounded and seventeen missing. It was highly complimented by General Grierson, notwithstanding the defeat. It fought at La Mavoo, Miss., and near Memphis, where seven members of Company F were killed by guerrillas. After this it joined in the pursuit of General Price; moved with General Grierson on his famous raid, fighting and destroying rebel property. It mined down into Louisiana and Texas, and finally, late in 1S05, was mustered out.

The Twelfth Cavalry was organized at Kendallville during the winter and spring of 1884, Edward Anderson, colonel. It first moved to Nashville, thence to Huntsville, Ala. Here and vicinity it remained, chastising guerrillas anil bushwhackers. A portion was not mounted; the others were and were commanded by Lieut. Col. Alfred Reed. Many men were lost in the numerous engagements. After this the regiment moved to Brownsboro, thence to Tullahoma, where they watched General Forrest. Here it had several skirmishes. Companies C, D and H participated in the defense of Huntsville. The regiment fought at Wilkinson's Pike, Overall's Creek and before Murfreesboro, spent the winter of 1864-65 at Nashville, embarked for Vicksburg, participated in the movements on Mobile, Ala., and joined in the raid of General Grierson. It occupied Columbus, Miss., Grenada. Austin and other points, guarding Federal stores and positions. It was mustered out of service at Vicksburg in November, 1865.

were killed, died of wounds or disease, or otherwise, while in the service of their country during the war of the Rebellion, is taken from the Adjutant General's reports, from newspapers, and from various other sources, and doubtless contains numerous errors.

Non-Commissioned Officers - J. W. Geesman, sergeant, died at Nashville. Tenn., August 19, 1863; A. J. Linn, sergeant, died of wounds at Nashville, Tenn.. February 5, 1863; Addison Harley, sergeant, died at Louisville, Ky.. August 5, [864; J. W. Clark, sergeant, died of wounds at Marietta, Ga., September 19. 1804; John W. Hathaway, corporal, killed at Stone River, December 31, 1862; Rush \Y Powers, corporal, died at Nashivlle. Tenn., Augusl 17. 1863; Emanuel Diffendafer, corporal, died at Bowling Green., Ky., December 29, 1862; Samuel Hamilton, corporal, died at Annapolis. Md., February 20, 1865; Henry Hinkley, corporal, died at Lisbon, lnd.. November 19. 1864; Charles Wilde, c rporal, died at Memphis. Tenn.. in 1862; Henry H. Franklin, corporal, died at Chattanooga, Tenn., November 7, 1804; John D. Stansbury, musician, died at Louisville, Ky.,. January 23. 1862; L. D. Thompson, wag-

Privates - William Archer, killed at Stone River, December. 1862; Levi Atwell. died at Upton. Ky., December, 1861 : William C. Allen, died at Nashville, September, 1862; Otis D. Allen, died at Louisville, February, 1862; William Anderson, died in at Camp Nevin, Ky., November, 1861 ; William Adkins, died near Nashville, Term. ; Daniel M. Axtell, died of wounds at Marietta, Ga., 1864; John W. Aker, died at Louisville. April, 1864; A. M. Albright, died in 1865 ; William Abbott, died at Chattanooga in 1864; Andrew Arnold, died at Chattanooga, 1864.

William Barthock, died of wounds at Fort Fisher in 1865 : J. E. Bradford, starved to death at Danville in 1864; H. J. Belden, died at Evansville, Ind., April, 1862; Solomon Bean, died at Nashville, November, 1862; Paul Bean, died at Glasgow, Ky.. November. 1862; A. P. Baltzell. killed at Shilull. April, 1862; James Bailey, killed at Perryville in 1863; Henry Brooks, died at Madison, Ind., 1862; Peter Betyer, died at Grand Junction, 1863; XV. H. Bailey, died at St. Louis, 1862; T. A. Barber, died at Nashville, 1865; Noah Bowman, died at Chattanooga in 1865; L. H. Baldwin, killed at Stone River. 1862 ; Josiah Benton, died at Kandallville, March. 1864; Henry Bloodcamp, died at Cumberland, Md.. 1865; Joseph Bull, died in 1865; Anson Bloomer, died at Murfreesboro in 1864; C. Barnsworth, died at Chattanooga in 1864; J. Bishop, died of wounds, Louisville, in 1863.

T. P. Cullison. died at Chickamauga, September, 1863; Michael Clair, died at Upton, Ky.. December, 1861 : Daniel Chapman, died at Camp Nevin. Ky.. November,

1 86 1 ; Patrick Clark, died at Camp Nevin, November, 1861 ; George Cullors, died at Nashville. May, 1865 ; J. W. Cruchlow, died of wounds in 1865; Daniel Coopruler, died of wounds in 1865 ; G. Caswell, died at Kendallville in 1862; C. Conkling, died at home in 1864; John T. Cannon, died at Chattanooga in 1864; James Cook, died at Paducah, Ky., March, 1862; Homer E. Clough, died at Gallatin, Tenn., December, 1862; Theodore Coplin, died at Louisville in 1863; Lucius Covey, died of wounds in the hands of the enemy, October, 1863; John Chancey, died near Edisto River, February, 1863; William P. Cheesman, died in 1863; Joseph H. Clemmons, killed at Iuka, 1862: H. D. Collins, killed at Stone River in 1862; W. A. Curry, drowned at Lousiville in 1863; J. W. Curry, starved at Andersonville in 1864; H. E. Cole, died at Camp Nevin, Ky., 1861 ; George Cluck, died at Collarsville in 1863 ; A. T. dimming, died at Indianapolis in 1862; W. H. Calkins, killed at Mission Ridge in 1863; John Clutter, died at Memphis, May, 1865 ; Joel Clark, died at Nashville in 1865; John Clark, killed at Stone River in 1862; Marion F. Cochran, died at Louisville, December, 1864; A. M. Casebeer, died in 1865; W. H. Coates, died in 1865; Alonzo Chase, died at home.

Isaac Dukes, died at Murfreesboro, Tenn.. April, 1863; John Dyer, died at Gallatin, November, 1862 : William J. Dyer, died of wounds, Chattanooga, October, 1863; James Dunbar, died November, 1863; Helim H. Dunn, died of wounds, December, 1863; Silas Dysert, died at Bridgeport, Ala., February, 1862; J. B. Dillingham, died at Collarsvills, 1863: J. H. Drake, died at Athens, 1865; John Dingman. died at

Abner Eddy, died at Camp Nevin, November, 1861; Nelson Eagles, starved to death, Danville, 1864; John Erricson, died at Jeffersonville, Ind., July, 1865; Henry Eley, died of wounds. May. 18(12; John Engle, died at Camp Sherman, 1865; Abner Elder, died at Madison, Ind., 1862; Peter Eggleston, died at Nashville, January, 1865 ; Henry Eddy, died at Cumberland, Mi, April, 1865; Eben Eddy, died at Indianapolis, March, 1805; A. T. Ellsworth. died, 1865.

Orton B. Fuller, killed at Resaca, May, 1864; Albert XV. Fisher, died at Cairo, August, 1864; Erastus Fisk, died at Upton, Ky., December, 1861 ; Mackson Fisk. died at Camp Nevin. November, 1861'; George Fisk, died at Louisville, January, 1862; Andrew J. Follen died at Gallatin, November, 1863; Charles Folk, died at Nashville, 1864; Cepheus Fordam, died at Nashville, 1865; Frederick Felton, died at David's Island. April, 1865; William Fitzgerald, missing, wounded at Shiloh, April. 1802.

Daniel Groves died at Memphis, December, 1862; Samuel Gardner, starved to death. Danville, 1863; I. J. Carver, starved to death, Andersonville, 1864: William H. Green, died at Louisville, Ky., June, 1865; A. A. Gallonge, killed at Shiloh, 1862; Owen Garvey, killed at Chickamauga, September, 1803; Matthias Green, died at Murfreesboro, February, 1863; B. L. Gage, died, 18(15 ; Michael Gunnet, died, 1864; Simon Gilbert, died in Michigan, 181.4; Wallace Gorton, died at home; Cyrus Gyer, starved at Andersonville, 1864.

Daniel Hodges, died at Baton Rouge, October, 1864; George Hubbard, killed at City Point, 1865; Joseph Hart, killed at Shiloh, April, 1862; Henry Hetick, died of wounds, Chattanooga, October, 1863; Joseph C. Hill, died at Nashville, April, 1SO5; T. "C. Hollister, killed at Murfreesboro, 1862; James Hudson, killed at Murfreesboro, 1862; Henry Hart, died at Indianapolis, 1863; John J killer, killed at Stone River, December, 1863; C. Hinton. died at Henderson, Ky., 1862; William H. Hays, I died at Ackworth, Ga., June, 1864; XV. Herrick, starved at Andersonville, 1864; M. Harker, died of wounds. 1864; Orange Homer, died at Gallatin, 1862; Emanuel Hoover, died at LaGrange, 1862; Jacob K. Hartzler, died at Chattanooga. September, 1863; Stockton D. Haney, died at New Albany, Ind., November, 1862; John Hoffman, died at Hickory Valley, 1863; Jesse Hull, killed at Dallas. Ga., 1863; Alvin O. Hostetter, died at Memphis, September, 1865; Robert Hamilton, died near Vienna, Fla., July, 1864; E. L. Humphreys, died in Noble county. 1865; Edwin B. Hanger, died at home, April, 1865; Eliphalet S. Holy, died at Indianapolis, March, 1865; R. Householder, died; Addison Harley, died at Nashville. 1864; Elisha Harding, died at Kendalville, 1864; C. Hackett, died at Nashville. 1864; John D. Harber, died at Nashville, 1864; W. Hardenbrook, died at Pulaski. 1805.

Henry Jerred, killed at Murfreesboro, 1862; J. V. Johnson, died at Corinth. July, 1862; Hollis Johnson, Jr., died at Gallatin, November, 1862; J. D. Joslin, killed at Atlanta, 1864; Samuel Johnson, drowned near Beaufort, S. C, January, 1865; Silas W.

]. W. Kirkpatrick, died at Nashville, 1865; Samuel Konkright. died at Nashville, 1863; William H. Kelley, died of wounds at Chattanooga, March, 1865; Daniel Knepper. died on hospital boat, August, 1865; Barney Knepper, died at Indianapolis, June, 1862 : L. C. Knapp, killed at Mission Ridge, 1863; M. D. King, killed at Dallas. Ga., 1864; Elias Kessler, died at Indianapolis, March. 1865: John W. Klein, died at Nashville, 1864.

Ashbury Lobdell. died at Beaufort, S. C, February, 1865; Jacob Lanellen, died of wounds at Fort Fisher, 1865; Joseph Longly. killed at Shiloh, April, 1862; Ira Lease, died at Murfreesboro, August, 1863; Robert Longyear, died at Farmington, 1862; Jacob Long, died, 1862; Hiram Lindsey, died, 1864; John S. Lash, died at Memphis, March, 1864; John Louthan, died at Vicksburg, August, 1865; A. Lunger. starved at Andersonville, 1864.

Lafayette Mullen, killed at Chickamauga, September, 1863; Andrew J. Myers, died at Victoria, Texas. November, 1865; Thomas J. Manhorter, died at St. Louis, February, 1865;- James Monroe, killed at Stone River, 1862; F. B. Miller. starved to death at Andersonville, 1864; Simon Michaels, died, July, 1865; William Miner, died at Evansville, December, 1861 ; H. J. Monroe, died at Andersonville, August, 1864; J. B. Matthews, died at Murfreesboro, January, 1863; L. H. Madison, died at Hamburg, Tenn., May, 1862; John Mankey, died at Athens, Ala., July, 1862; facob Mohn, killed at Shiloh, April, 1862; Eli Miser, died at Chattanooga, 1864;

Corry McMann, died at Louisville, Ky., December, 1862; William Martin, died at Louisville, January, 1863; Matthias Marker, killed at Perryville, October, 1862; J. McBride. died at Nashville, 1865; Albert Martenus. died, 1865; John H. Mitchell, starved at Andersonville, 1864; Charles A. Monroe, died, 1863; Wesley Moore, died, April, 1864; Sylvanus Mercia, died at Huntsville, Ala., 1865; J. McQuiston, starved to death at Andersonville, 1864; Charles W. Mullen, died at Whitesburg, Ala., August, 1864; Henry McGinnis, died at Decatur, Ga., September, 1864; John A. Madison, killed at Atlanta, 1864; J. H. Mc- Nutt, died of wounds, 1865.

G. G. Nelson, killed at Murfreesboro, 1863; J. W. Norton, died at Evansville, lnd., December, 1861 ; Charles Noteman, died at Columbus, 1865; Henry Nichols, died. 1865.

George Oliver, died in hospital, 1864; Francis Owen, died at Tuscumbia, 1863; Horace D. Odell. died at Gallatin, December, 1862; T. L. Ourstreet, died at Helena, Ark., 1862; Samuel W. Orr, died at Keokuk, Iowa, 1863.

H. Plummer, died at Granville, 1865; John Poppy, killed at Shiloh. April, 1862; William Prentice, killed at Resaca, May, 1864; John S. Pancake, died at home, January, 1864; William H. Piatt, died at Murfreesboro, February, 1863; Rudolph Phisel, died at Nashville, 1865 ; Daniel Porke, died at Camp Sherman, 1863; A. Pennypacker, died at Murfreesboro. 1864; Earl Powers, \ died at Cumberland, Md., April, 1865; Lester Powers, died, 1865.

Charles Rossin, died, December, 1864; William Richardson, died at home, April. 1862; Louis Routsong, died at Louisville.. December, [862; Isaac Rambo, died at Chattanooga, [865; David Rink, died at Bowling Green, Ky., November, 1862; 1 )li ver Reed, died at Jeffersonville, Ind., June, 1864; Robert Reed, killed at Atlanta, August, 1864; L. H. Randall, killed at Chickamauga, 1863; George W. Rogers, died at Tyree Springs, Tenn., November. 1862; David River, died at Nashville, 1862; .Milton Richards, died at Nashville, September, 1864; William Rosenbaugher, died at Indianapolis, March. 1865; A. Rinehart, died, 1865.

Frank Seamans, died at Grand Junction, Tenn., February, 1863; George R. Smith, died at Rome City in 1863; J. H. Sparrow, died -of wounds at Fort Fisher, 1865; Edward B. Segnor, died at Baton Rouge, May, [864; Daniel Shobe, Jr., died of wounds, Ma\\ 1862; Clark Scarlett, died at Upton, Ky.. December, 1861 ; Alfred Shields, died at Murfreesboro, December, 1863; P. J. Squires, killed at Shiloh in 1S62; John Shidler, died at Gallatin, December, 1862; Thomas Stokes, died, March, 1863; Elijah Starks, killed at Chickamauga in 1863; Jacob Shobe, died at Murfreesboro, May, 1863; Amos W. Seymour, died at Bowling Green, November. 18(12; David Soule, killed at Atlanta in 1864; E. O. Sanborn, died at Chattanooga in 1863; Francis H. Shaver, starved at Andersonville in 1864: Alfred Sutton, died at Washington in 1864; J. Seebright, died on steamer Olive Branch in 18(14; Jacob Slusser, died at Acworth, Ga., June, 1864; Theron A. Smith, died,, January. 1865: John Seips. dieil in 1865; Uriah Swager. died in 1865.

Frank Teal, killed at Shiloh, April, [862; William Totten, killed at Chickamauga, September. [863; John Traul, died at Huntsville, Ala., January, 1865; William R. Truly, starved to death at Andersonville in 1865; David Tressel, died at Lebanon Junction, Ky., December, 1862; William Tressel, died at Gallatin, December, 1862; Abraham Tasony, died of wounds. Madison. Ind., December. 1863; W. T. Taylor, drowned in Mill creek in 1864; Franklin Thomas, died at Nashville in 18(13; tsaiah Tryon, killed at Kingston in [864; Francis Trask, died at Jackson in 1865 ; Marcus B. Turney. died at Cumberland, Md., April, 1865. "

Moses Walters, died at Memphis, October. 1863; George E. Warden, died at Scottsboro, Ala., March, 18(14; William 11. Williams, died at Marietta, Ga., September, 1 8; 4; Adam Weeks, died at Rome. Ga., 18(14; John M. Wells, starved to death at Andersonville, 1864; Andrew J. Webb, died at Camp Nevin. Ky., November, 1861 ; Ira Worden, starved to death at Andersonville, 1864; Lorenzo D. Wells, died of wounds, December. 18(13; Zilia Winget. died at Nashville, March, [863; John D. Warner, died in 1863; Edmund W'est. died in Andersonville Prison, 18(14; Hiram Waliill. died at Grafton. West Virginia, June. 181.5; Joseph E. Walburn. died at Nashville, February, 18(13; Hiram W Iford, died in

"No life, however humble and insignificant, if characterized by some degree of activity and industry, can fail to be instructive and useful in memory. If any merits are revealed, it is so far good for example; if faults are conspicuous and errors numerous,'it is useful as a warning. Lastly, as individual lives are the bases of history, the primal springs of destiny, their true delineation is a debt, due at least to lineal posterit}-, if not to the community and to the world."

Such is the beautiful and appropriate language which introduces the opening paragraph of an unfinished autobiography of one of Noble county's most eminent citizens, the scholarly and erudite gentleman whose name appears at the head of this review - a man whom his fellow citizens repeatedly honored with important official station and whose fame as a journalist and in the higher realms of literature long since won for him a conspicuous place among Indiana's distinguished men of letters. In touching upon the character of one whose life for so man)- years was an open hook known and read by the pe iple, whose vigorous style as a writer still refreshes, whose beauties ravish, and whose judgment leads captive, we may at least claim that the scant eulogy herewith presented has worth) precedent, for such in all ages has been the homage which common mortals have been wont to lay at the feet of genius. But in compiling this brief biography the writer labors under peculiar disadvantages. The material necessary to the life-sketch of a man. eminent, not only in the world of literature hut whose distinguished services in one of the most exacting professions - the law - won for him much more than a local reputation, is scattered through the volumes of many years, and to collect it in compact form, now that the subject is no more, is a task beset with difficulties numerous and formidable. Had Air. Alvord lived to complete the beautiful autobiography, which he began some years at the earnesl solicitation of his children, the literature of the state would have heen enriched by a life-story of surpassing interest, and from it the biographer of the future would have found abundant material to speak of its author as one of the noted men of his day and generation. Unfortunately for his friends and for the community, this labor of love was deferred from time to time for reasons which are besl explained in the following words from his pen: "I have deferred the performance of this duty until nearly three years beyond the allotted 'three score and ten,' to a time when the usual ambitions of earthly life have ceased and motives of personal aspiration in human affairs cannot justly lie suspected ; but truth compels me to disclaim this as the only reason for the delay. I must confess that less honorable considerations have caused it ; doubt as to the proprietv of thrusting myself and my experience upon the notice of others ; dread of criticism and gossip; fear of misapprehension; especially, fear that the performance might si amp me as one of the class for whose weakness I have always felt the utmost degree of pity - the representative of vanity and egotism - and. more than all, 'the putting off until to-morrow the legitimate work of to-day.' " Thus modestly are set forth the primal reasons deferring a work which, bad it been finished, would have heen cherished as a priceless heirloom by his immediate family ami friends, besides being, as already stated, a literary gem. which in interest and excellence would have won a place with the best literary productions of the times.

Samuel E. Alvord was born in the township of Wells, in Bradford county, Pa., on the 14th day of November, 1824, at the house of his maternal grandparents, Samuel and Sarah (Seely) Edsall. The grandfather was a native of Orange county, N. Y., his ancestors being of the Hollanders of Manhattan. The grandmother's ancestors were Connecticut people of English extraction, as some of their descendants claim, while others profess to know that her ancestry is Scotch-Irish. The subject's grandparents of the paternal line, Nathaniel Alvord, Sr.. and Rebecca Deming, were both natives of Connecticut, of Scotch-Irish and English ancestry, respectively. The migration of the Alvords, who were lineal ancestors, occurred about the year 1687. The)- were among those win) tied from the terrible scenes of the great Rapparee insurrection in behalf of King James and the Romish church, and took refuge in England under the protectorate of William and Mary. Two brothers of the name afterwards came to America and landed in Massachusetts, about the year 1700. The families founded by these brothers were located at Greenfield, in the western part of the above state, and in Fairfield count}". Conn. Nathan Alvord, the subject's grandfather, at an early period lived for several years in Vermont, at Bradford, where his son, Nathan. Jr., father of Samuel E.. was born. The family subsequently moved to northern Pennsylvania and located in the region known as "The Firelands," a large tract granted by congress to the state of Connecticut in consideration of the losses suffered at the hands of the British under the notorious General Tryon, who destroyed by fire many of the Connecticut towns and villages near the close of the Revolutionary war, among which, in 1779. was burned the town of Fairfield and much of the land bordering Long Island Sound laid waste. The portion of "Firelands" on which the Alvord family permanently settled in Pennsylvania was named Bradford county in honor of Governor Bradford of Massachusetts. The family located in Troy township, twentyfive miles south of Elmira, N. Y. About five miles north, over a range of hills, dwelt the Edsall family in Wells township. Here Nathan Alvord, Jr.. became acquainted with Hila Edsall, a pupil of his, an acquaintance which soon ripened into love, which terminated. November 16, 1823, in marriage. On the 14th of the following November, as already stated. Samuel E. Alvord, the oldest child of this worthy couple, first saw the light of day in the Edsall home. Of his childhood home and surroundings we will let Mr. Alvord describe in his own inimitable style :

"My first recollections are of this old home. My parents had settled three miles west, and my father was studying medicine with a Dr. Wood, of Pumpkin Hill, so named from the immense crops of pumpkins that grew on the first lands cleared there - Dr. Wood's 1 icing the principal farm on the hill. It was table land, of good soil, on the crest of a ridge four hundred feet above the valley in which grandfather Edsall's house stood. Along the ridge, running eastward, was a way - partly foot path, leading through dense woods of hemlock, beech and ma] ile. for three miles, from Pumpkin Hill to intersection with the Elmira road, half a mile north, and three hundred feet above the Edsall home. One day in the Indian summer, when 1 was four years of age, my mother sent me with a girl of sixteen, who was living with us, on a visit to grandmother's. 1 walked nearly all the way, stopping often to rest; the young woman carried me Over the rough places. Once as we sat on a log by the wayside there was a sudden rustling in the brushes, and a fine large deer emerged and bounded over the path. It was the first deer I ever saw. Shortly after that the light of an opening appeared ; we walked out upon the Elmira road ; and lo ! there, away below, was a pretty valley, of pastures and meadow's. A bright little brook shone in the midst, and near it on a steep bluff was grandfather Edsall's house. wagon-house, granary and stable, and a few rods away a large hay-barn. In that house, I was told, fmir years before. I was born. I ix house was built against a steep hillside facing southward. The first story was of stone - really, a basement built into the hill, twenty feet, and projecting sixteen feet, with a framed porch in front. This basement story was divided into kitchen, pantry, bedroom, and cellar, which was entered direct from the kitchen. A winding stairway from this kitchen led up ten feet to a hall on the first floor of the main part, w litre were sitting room, parlor and bedrooms of commodious size, the whole well supplied with the usual furniture and utensils used by the better class of that day - the building and premises breathing an atmosphere of industry and thrift which betokened a household in which a spirit of happiness and content reigned supreme."

Nathan Alvord. subject's father, became a successful physician and prosecuted his profession in Bradford county for a number of vears, building up a large and lucrative practice and earning the reputation of one of the most eminent medical men in his part of the state. The mother was a woman of sterling character and left the impress of her strong personality upon the mind of her sun, who in after years never tired of lauding her virtues, and always admitted that whatever success he attained was largely due to her gentle influence and wholesome instruction. To the early vears under the tutelage of parents whose ambition was to engraft upon the minds of their children such principles as would insure lives of honor and usefulness. Samuel E. Alvord, like thousands of others, was indebted for that integrity of character and honorable ambition) that pre-eminently distinguished him as a citizen in the various capacities to which he was afterwards called. The world is full of such examples and the student of biography will have no difficulty in recalling' instances in which country life in youth left its indelible impress upon the most exalted characters in history. In these early years, when the mind is taking its bent, when youthful ambitions are shaping themselves for manhood's achievements, no influences have ever been found more potential for good than those which the country and farm have afforded. The frugalities of the home, the chaste purity of its teachings, the broad fields, the orchards, and meadow, hill, woodland and dell, the song of the birds, the hum of the bees, the laughing brook, the silver river - all the wealth of beauty that nature spreads out with lavish hand - are the teachers of youth whose lessons are never forgotten. It was amid such scenes andsurroundings that the early years of Samuel E. Alvord were spent, and to the end of his days he continued a lover of nature and a student of its mysteries.

After obtaining a knowledge of the rudimentary branches, young Samuel was sent to an academy in Pennsylvania, where he pursued the higher studies, completing the prescribed course and graduating with an honorable record, before attaining his majority. Remaining in his native county until twenty-two years of age, he went to Troy, Pa., where, from 1S47 till 1849, he studied law under the direction of competent instructors, making commendable progress and early displaying the strong mental powers and critical analysis by which his subsecpient distinguished professional career was characterized. While a student he gave evidence of rare ability as a writer, and as early as 1847 began contributing to the local press of Coudersport, Pa., where the versatility and power of his editorials soon brought him to the favorable notice of the readingpublic. After his admission to the bar he spent some time looking for a favorable location to practice his profession, and hearing good reports from northern Indiana, which he was led to believe afforded better opportunities for a young man than were to be found in bis native state, he concluded to seek his fortune in the new and rapidly growing country. Accordingly, in 1849, ne came to Noble county, and the latter part of that year and a month or two of the year following taught school in Rome City. In the spring of 1850 he located at Albion and commenced the publication of a newspaper, called The Albion Observer, which was regularly issued with varying success until 1853, when Mr. Alvord discontinued the publication for the purpose of engaging in the law. From the latter year until 1855 he practiced at the Albion bar. earning the reputation of an able and judicious attorney, and winning for himself a commendable standing among the successful professional men of Noble county. Meantime, January 26, 1853, he again embarked in journalism as editor and proprietor of the Albion Expositor, a sprightly local sheet, which he published for a limited period, in connection with his legal business,' but the enterprise proved of short duration, beingdiscontinued some time during the year in which the first number made its appearance. In 1855 Mr. Alvord was elected clerk of the Noble county circuit court, and served in that capacity four years, during which time he was connected for two years with The Noble Countv Democrat, the recognized official organ of the local Democracy. Tic continued as managing editor of the Democrat until January, i860, making it one of the strongest and best-edited county papers in the northern part of the state, and through its columns many of his best and most noted literary productions were first given to the world. At the expiration of his official term he resumed the practice of law. continuing the same successfully until 1X72. when his predilection for journalism led him to establish The Xew Era. which he published until January 1. 1876. when the plant was sold to Messrs. Prickett & Starr. For a short time after retiring from the newspaper business, Mr. .Alvord was engaged in the practice of his profession, but in the fall of 1876. at the earnest solicitation of his many friends throughout Noble county, again became the Democratic candidate for the clerkship, being triumphantly elected to the office in November of that year and chosen his own successor four years later. As a public official every duty coming within his sphere was discharged in a manner eminently satisfactory to the people of the county and he left the office about one year before the expiration of his second term, with an honorable record, resigning for the purpose of turning his attention to other affairs. Shortly after leaving the office, he removed his family to the state of New York, where he lived for a few years, subsecmently returning to Albion and purchasing of James J. Lesh, in 1886, the Albion Democrat, which, under his management, continued to make its periodical visits until 1893, in January of which year he disposed of the paper to H. C. Pressler. This was Mr. Alvord's last experience in journalism, and from the time he sold the plant until [896 lie was actively engaged in the practice of law in Noble and neighboring counties, building up a lucrative business which he looked after with the ability which characterized his early professional career. in [896 he was elected prosecuting attorney of the Thirty-third judicial circuit, and after serving with credit to himself and satisfaction to all concerned for one term, yielded to a desire of long standing by returning to private life with the object in view of devoting the remainder of his days to literary pursuits.

Mr. Alvord's marriage with Miss Julia Sweet was solemnized in November, 1851, and four children blessed the union - Lillie, Edward. Nathan and Edith. Of these. Edward lives in the city of Spokane, Wash., Nathan is a resident of Beaver, Pa., Lillie is the wife of Edwin Engle, and Edith, the youngest, is unmarried.

Mrs. Julia (Sweet) Alvord was called from earth, and in December, 1881, Mr. Alvord selected for his life companion Miss Amanda T. Bidwell, who bore him three sons, namely: Lee, who died in September, 1000; Hugh and Guy. The widow and her children reside 111 Albion, and upon them the public look with that profound respect which is due to the family of so illustrious a husband and father as was S. E. Alvord.

Mr. Alvord has written much and well, and. but for his modest)-, would long ago have been one of the shining literary lights of Indiana. Pie spent much time and pains in gathering facts and data for a history of Noble county, and his valuable research in this line of work will lie greatly appreciated by his fellow citizens, as the production is by far the most reliable and best written of any that has heretofore been published. It will be found entire in this volume, wherein, in imperishable form, it will be perused with increasing interest as the years come and go and remain a monument to his genius.

Mr. Alvord led an active and industrious life, and from his early youth every hour was diligently employed. He laid broad and deep a foundation of usefulness, and his fidelity to every trust - and of trusts there were many - brought its certain and substantial rewards : friends, remunerative employment, responsible official station, literary fame, and success. In such lives as his there are no startling incidents and ro eccentricities of character. In his walk and conversation, in his ambitions and aspirations, he sought the table land of life, wbere, if there are no dizzy elevations of thought and imagination, there are, as a compensation, no depressions of infidelity and deceit. He lived in an atmosphere free from the malaria which breeds intellectual distempers, and. pursuing the even course of his way, was to the community what the fixed stars are to the navigators. To such men as Samuel E. .Alvord society is largely indebted, not only for progress in material things but for those ideas of order and security which form its chief guarantees of prosperity and progress. Taking aii active part in public and political affairs, he was a recognized leader in shaping policies; deeply interested in the success of government, municipal, state and federal, he sought by the most patriotic motives the enactment of laws conducive to the general welfare. Mr. Alvord was a Democrat, active in behalf of his party's interests, but no more of a partisan than that broad view of Democracy which embodies man's faith in the capacity for self-government.

In this connection we can give but a brief glance at Mr. Alvord's ability as a writer and the success to which he attained in his favorite domain of literature. In the language of another, "His literary productions are characterized by great beauty of expression, broad and thoughtful analysis of human motives and a sternly realistic view of life that penetrates all shams and pours the focal light of hard common sense upon all problems involved in darkness."

To whatever subject his attention was called, though it might have been one strange to his thoughts, he was enabled, upon the slightest meditation, to impart an interest and_a glow truly surprising. During the period of his connection with the press of northern Indiana, it was universally conceded that he contributed much to the extension of its usefulness, did more perhaps than any of his compeers to elevate its moral tone, and he made his influence a potent factor for substantial good as long as he occupied the editorial chair. As a political writer, it is no high sounding eulogy to say that he had few equals and no superiors in the state, and it can be truly said that the leaders which he contributed had a depth of thought and a dash and brilliancy of tone not excelled in the great metropolitan journals. His style, always clear and trenchant, was variable, partaking largely of the nature of the subject under consideration ; some of his editorials were characterized by a combative energy, a sarcasm withering in its intensity, while through all ran a vein of originality which stamped them as the work of a deep thinker and a sound, logical reasoner. He never failed to impress his_ readers with the sincerity of his convictions, and in discussion was indeed a formidable an-.

tagonist, yet ever observant of the amenities of journalism, and never stooping to vituperation or abuse. Aside from his work as a journalist he was a graceful and polished writer on many subjects, some of his literary productions, bearing the stamp of a high order genius, while all that ever came from his pen is worthy of being put in imperishable form for future generations to read. He brought to his aid a mind thoroughly disciplined, and with a quick wit. ready fancy and vivid imagination could clothe his ideas in most beautiful and appropriate words, which rarely failed to please the most critical and exacting.

I11 every walk of life Air. Alvord was easily the peer of any of his fellows, in all that constituted true and virile manihbod, and during his long- period of residence in Noble county his name was synonymous with all that was moral and upright in citizenship. Had he seen fit to have devoted his attention exclusively to the legal profession he doubtless would have become one of the most eminent jurists of the state, and had it been his good fortune to give his splendid abilities entirely to authorship, the world would have been brighter and richer by the productions of his pen. As it was. he adorned every station to which lie was called, and for years to come his name and fame will be cherished by a people who looked upon him as a lawyer without pretense, an official whom no bribes could corrupt, a writer with few peers, and a man who, seeing and understanding his duty, strove by all means within his power to do the same as he would answer to his conscience and to his God. He died at his home in Albion, August 8. 1901, ripe in years and rich in honors, and was followed by a large concourse of his fellow citizens to beautiful Sweet Hope cemetery, amid the silent shades of which his body, "life's fitful fever over, rests well."

Hon. Orean W. Christie

Mayor of Ligonier, Ind., and an enterprising business man of no inconsiderable prominence, is a native of Benton township, Elkhart county, Ind., and was born November 18,1861.

Collins M. and Charlotte II. (Kitson) Christie, the parents of Hon. O. W. Christie and respectively of Scotch and Dutch descent, now- residents of the township in which their son was horn, are natives of Ohio, and have a family of six children, born in the following order: Orean W.; Milo E., who is cashier in the Lake Shore Railway Company's freight office at La Porte, Ind.. is married and stands very high in the esteem of the officers of the railway company and of the residents of La Porte; Delvin E. is a banker in Illinois and is unmarried : Adrian A. is a teacher in Elkhart county. Ind. ; Leona is the wife of Curtis Green, a prosperous farmer and also a resident of Elkhart county: Laura Edith, who was formerly a teacher, is now postmistress at Benton, Ind.. and makes her home with her parents.

Hon. Orean \\". Christie was educated primarily in the district schools of Elkhart county, and, secondarily, at the Syracuse Summer Normal School, and at the age of seventeen years he entered upon the perplexing vocation of teaching and for six years followed this profession in his native town- ship, where he was both successful and popular as an educator of marked ability. This position he resigned, however, to accept a situation more remunerative and more agreeable with the L. S. & M. S. Railway Company, with whom he remained about three years, when he resigned to accept that of bookkeeper for the Ligonier Milling Company, and this position, responsible and arduous as it is, he has held for eleven years.

Mr. Christie was united in marriage at Warsaw, Ind., July 4. 1889. with Miss Theora M. Benner. a native of Kosciusko county. Ind., and a daughter of James Benner. She was educated at Syracuse and there formed the acquaintanceship of Mr. Christie when he also was a devotee at the shrine of knowledge. One child, Marie Cecile. came to crown this union September 6, 1804. and is now, as may be readily conceived by the reader, the central attraction of the homestead.

In politics Mr. Christie has been a lifelong Republican, and in the spring of 1898 was honored by his party by bis election to the responsible office of mayor of Ligonier. He is now filling out the third of the fouryear term, and has had the satisfaction, in the meantime, of rendering such services in his position as to win the approbation of all citizens, of all parties, save, perhaps, that of a few disgruntled politicians and envious office-seekers.

In his fraternal relations Mr. Christie is a member of Ligonier Lodge, No 184, A. F. & A. M.. and likewise of Ligonier Lodge. Xo. 123, K. of P.. in the latter of which he is a P. C. C. and has been a member of the standing committee on subordinate lodge, constitutions and by-laws hi the Grand Lods:e for four vears - three years of this period as chairman, his present office; he is also a member of the K. O. T. M. He and wife are consistent members of the Presbyterian church, in which he is an elder, as well as superintendent of the Sunday-school, and in the work of both the church and school they take an exceeding interest.

Mr. Christie is truly a self-made man in the colloquial sense of the phrase, and too much credit cannot be awarded him for the indomitable courage with which he has overcome the many obstacles which lie in the way of the seeker after a competency and the proper station of usefulness befitting men of his caliber.

John Mitchell

For many years as a banker and prominent business man of Kendallville John Mitchell has ranked among the distinguished citizens of Noble county and occupies a conspicuous place in the annals of northern Indiana. No other resident of the community has been so long identified with its growth and development and none has so indelibly impressed bis personality upon the city of his residence or exercised so potent an influence in directing and controlling the business interests of the county. The Mitchell family is of Scotch origin and the name frequently appears in connection with the war /of American independence, in which struggle one of John Mitchell's ancestors bore a brave and distinguished part. This ancestor was Andrew Mitchell, a native of Scotland, horn in Ayrshire county about the year 1728. His father, Robert Mitchell, was born in the

From the most reliable information obtainable it appears that Andrew Mitchell, about 1753. came to America and engaged in merchandising in the city of Philadelphia. Subsequently, 1760, he left that place and took up bis residence in Schenectady, N. V , where he also conducted a mercantile establishment. Later he went to Ballston Spa, and while living at the latter place on a farm he was commissioned second major in the Twelfth Regiment, New York militia. October 20, 1775. The regiment to which he was appointed was raised in what was known as the "Half Moon" and "Ballston" districts, ami saw much active service in the Revolutionary war, during the progress 1 1 which Andrew Mitchell was reappointed second major on the 22d day of June, [778. He displayed signal bravery while fighting for his adopted country, and from Sims' History of Saratoga County. N. Y.. it appears that be was not only a gallant soldier but a cool-headed, reliable officer under a number of very trying circumstances. On an old county record, bearing date of December 31, 1779, his name appears assessed with twenty-one pounds and two shillings upon a valuation of four hundred and ninety-nine pounds, which shows the enormous taxes our forefathers were obliged to pav in order to raise revenue with which to prosecute the war and sustain the government. In 1780 he was elected town collector of Shenectady, and in 1785 the office of supervisor was thrust upon him. Subsequently, in February, 1791. he was appointed a justice of the peace - an office the same as associate justice now - and from the records it seems that he discharged the duties incumbent upon him with great efficiency. In \jn->- he was elected a member of the New York assembly from Saratoga county, and in that capacity distinguished himself as an able and discreet legislator. He was married. July 23, [761, to Miss Maria Van Eps, a native of the Mohawk valley, and lived the remainder of his life an honored citizen of New York, dying on the 15th day of October, 1812.

Charles Mitchell, son of Andrew, was born near Ballston Spa, Saratoga county, N. Y., January 2, 1773-. He was reared 011 what, in local annals, is known as the "Old Delavan farm." and followed agricultural pursuits all his life; he died in the town of Root, Montgomery county. N. Y., on the 1 1 th day of September. 1X57.

Among the sons of Charles Mitchell was William Mitchell, father of the' subject of this sketch and a man not only prominent in local and state affairs in Indiana, but of national repute as a member of the United States congress. William Mitchell was born January 19. 1807, in Montgomery county. N. Y., and grew to manhood on a farm. On the 19th day of February, 1829, he was united in marriage to Miss Nancy Keller, whose birth occurred in the above county and state July 4. 1807. In the year 1836 William Mitchell and family left New York for Indiana, coming via the Erie canal to Buffalo, thence by steamer to Monroe, Mich., front which point the remainder of the journey was made by wagon to the present site of Kendallville, The place where the flourishing city now stands was a deep forest in which no work of any kind had been done. At the time of his arrival at this new home in the forests of Noble county Mr. Mitchell's family consisted of him-

Mr. Mitchell located a tract of about two hundred acres of timber land, which he began clearing and otherwise improving, and it was not long until be bad a comfortable home for that period and a goodly portion of his land in cultivation. With the influx of population the necessity of a trading point closer than the nearest market then patronized by the early settlers became apparent. With shrewd discernment Mr. Mitchell realized the advantages the locality possessed as the center of a region which was rapidly being settled by a sturdy and industrious class of people. Accordingly, in the year 1849, 'ie platted twenty lots, some of which he gave away to such persons as would locate upon and improve them. This inducement had the desired effect, and it was not long until quite a number of people were attracted to the place, making necessary an addition to the original plat. He then laid out another block of twenty lots which were soon disposed of, after which another addition was platted and put upon the market. It is unnecessary in this connection to describe in detail the graduated growth of the flourishing little town, but suffice it to say that in due time all the lots in the first three surveys were disposed of either by gift or sale, thus rendering necessary a still further extension of the town in all directions. Its advantages as a desirable place of residence as well as a trading point becoming apparent, population continued to increase, and in the course of a few years. Kendallville became the rival of its sister villages of N< hie county. Previous to this time a postoffice had been established, with Mr. Mitchell as the first postmaster, his commission bearing the date of December 7. 1836. He discharged the duties of the position in an eminently satisfactory manner, meanwhile using all the influences he could command to induce settlers to locate in the new and thriving town, of which he was the controlling spirit. Mr. Mitchell was the father of Kendallville. He gave the place an impetus which made it in the course of time one of the most thriving towns in the northern part of the state. He took great interest in its growth and prosperity, and to his efforts is directly attributable the proud position the city new enjoys. During his life-time he always occupied a position of distinction and influence among the people and manifested his interest by many liberal benefactions, as well as by I inaugurating" and carrying to successful co'n- I elusion a number of enterprises for the pub- I lie good. In the early 'forties, he obtained a contract for the constructing of a part of [ the Wabash & Erie canal near Defiance, Ohio, and it was while prosecuting this work that his barn in Kendallville was burned by a gang of "blacklegs," seme of whom he had been instrumental in arresting j for acts of lawlessness committed in various I parts of Indiana, for at that time horse I stealing and counterfeiting were of common occurrence. Mr. Mitchell took the lead in ridding the country of these desperadoes and was made to suffer for the activity he displayed in the good work. Through his efforts two men charged with horse-stealing were arrested and taken to jail in Bluffton. Sometime previous to the day set for trial they succeeded in breaking jail and effecting their escape. To avenge for their arrest and imprisonment they watched their opportunity for destroying the property of Mr. Mitchell, and when a favorable one presented itself his barn; together with others in the neighborhood, were burned to the ground.

In 1841 Mr. Mitchell was elected to the lower house of the general assembly as joint representative from the counties of Noble and Lagrange. He served during the session of 1842 and took an active part in all the deliberations of the body, bearing the reputation of an able and judicious lawmaker. He presented a number of bills which passed both houses, and the laws <> which he was the author had a very decided influence upon the subsequent history of the state. Prior to his election to the legislature, Mr. Mitchell served the people of his part of the county as justice of the peace. In 1848 he was the leader in the construction of the old plank road built from Fort Wayne to Ontario, Lagrange county, a distance of about fifty miles, which opened up that section of the country to the trade of a large part of southern Michigan. He superintended the work, and the enterprise was pushed forward in the face of many difficulties, chief among which were the heavy timbers and swampy condition of the country in many places. But little money was available, and to procure the necessary labor resort was had to trade, the workmen receiving their pay in goods at Kendallville. A man of less energy would have abandoned the enterprise long before completion, hut not so with Mr. Mitchell. Having once undertaken the work, he bent all his energies to- its successful prosecution and it was to bis directing and controlling genius alone

Mr. Mitchell, in connection with Samuel, Hanna and Pliny Hoagland, of port Wayne, under the firm name of William Mitchell & Co., entered into a contract to construct one hundred and thirty-one miles of the Ohio & Indiana Railroad (now part of the Pittsburg, Ft. Wayne & Chicago), the first railroad in northeastern Indiana, extending from Crestline. Ohio, to Ft. Wayne, Ind. Like his other undertakings, this work was also completed under Mr. Mitchell's personal direction, and the towns and villages along the line, together with the wonderful development of the part of the country through which the road runs, are monuments to his energy and enterprise.

Fi r a number of years Mr. Mitchell had taken an active part in the political affairs of Indiana and early became a leader of the Republican party in the northern part of the state. In i860 be was elected to represent the old Tenth district, composed of Elkhart, Kosciusko, Whitley, Allen, Noble, Steuben. Lagrange and DeKalb counties, in the Congress of the United States. He seiwed with distinction in that honorable body and made a record of which his constituents felt proud. He was placed upon some of the most important committees, and his sound judgment, native tact and superior business training eminently fitted him to discharge worthily the high trust reposed in him by the people of his district. He was a great admirer and warm personal friend of President Lincoln, between whom and himself the most pleasant and cordial relations long existed.

In 1S64 Mr. Mitchell was appointed with three others a committee to visit General Sherman in the field, and, if possible, prevail upon him to allow the Indiana soldiers in his command to return home and vote at the ensuing presidential election, Jesse J. Brown, of New Albany, Ind., being- the only one who accompanied him on the trip. Previous to their departure the matter was submitted to President Lincoln, who became so warmly interested in the movement that he wrote a strong letter to the General, urging him, if possible, to comply with the request of the committee; this letter is still in possession of John Mitchell, who prizes it very highly. As is well known, the Indiana boys did return that fall and the state, which without their aid would have been carried by the opposition, was kept in line with the party of the Union.

At the expiration of his term in Congress, William Mitchell returned to» his home in Kendallville and turned his attention to his large business interests. He was always foremost in advocating reforms and measures tending to ameliorate the condition of the people, and his influence was invariably upon the moral side of every great or issue.

Although of meager scholastic opportunities in his youth, yet his good sense, sound judgment, wide reading and intelligent observation made him master of a practical education which, with his strong character and wonderful energy, insured him financial success in all of his business affairs. He was a man of decided religious convictions, but did not identify himself with any church. He was a regular attendant, however, of the Presbyterian church, to which his wife belonged, and contributed liberally of his means to the support of the gospel at home and in foreign lands. While on a business trip to Macon, Ga., for the purpose of buying cotton, he died on the nth day of September, 1865, in the fifty-eighth year of his age, deeply lamented by his family and a large circle of friends. William Mitchell was in the largest sense of the term a western man, although of eastern birth. The effects of his strong controlling power are felt in the city which hie! founded and his name adorns the roster of Indiana's eminent and distinguished men.

Mrs. Mitchell was a lady of marked worth, possessing many Christian traits of character, and, with her husband, had uncomplainingly and cheerfully shared all the straits and hardships of pioneers times, and was his active co-laborer when success came to him in after years. She died at her home in Kendallville, February 18, 1864, preceding her companion by one year to the other life. The father of Mrs. Mitchell was Henry S. Keller, who died in the town of Root, Montgomery county, N. Y.. October 12, 1 8 18. Her mother's name before marriage was Lany Failing; she was born August 1, 1770. and departed this life on the 9th day of January, 1846. Henry S. Keller and wife were both natives of York state and descendants of old and prominent German families that came to America at an early period in the history of the colonies. Mr. Keller's father, a patriot of the war of 1812, was killed in the battte of Oriskany.

John Mitchell, whose name introduces this biography, was born in the town of Root, Montgomery county X. Y.. on the 2d day of June. 1830. His childhood to the age of six years was spent on the farm where he first saw the light of clay, and the familiar scenes of his first home and its surroundings are still fresh in his memory. I [e recalls the incidents of the long journey by canal, lake and overland, to the new place of residence in the primeval forests of northern Indiana, and recounts the part lie took in felling the timber, clearing the land, and the hundred and one other kinds of labor a boy who is reared to manhood in a new country was obliged to do. To such subscription school as his neighborhood afford ed he is indebted for his early scholastic training, but his attendance was not very regular, being confined to about three months of each year during the winter season. The greater part of bis time was spent on the farm, where he learned the lessons of industry and thrift which Have characterized his subsequent career. Long hours of unremitting toil with little time for rest or recreation was the daily routine, the result of which was the development of strong bodily powers and the building up of a sturdy, manly spirit. Realizing the need oi a better education than the district schools could impart, young Mitchell afterward attended a seminary at Ontario several terms, where. in addition to mastering the common course. he obtained a knowledge of some of the more advanced branches of learning. \\ ith this as a foundation, be added to bis mental attainments as opportunities presented by reading such books as he could get hold of, so that in the course of a few years he was recognized as one of the best-informed young men of his neighborhood.

Selecting agriculture for his vocation, Mr. Mitchell entered heartily into the work and in due time met with the success his efforts deserved. He continued farming with encouraging results until 1865. when he succeeded his father as president of the First National Lank at Kendall ville. a position which his abilities eminently qualified him to fill. Previous to the above date, in connection with his father and several other business men of the town, he assisted in organizing the bank and became a stockholder and director. He held the office of president uninterruptedly for twenty-nine years and as such displayed executive abilities of a high order; also earned the reputation of a reliable and successful financier; meanwhile he continued to look after bis farming and real estate interests, which had grown in magnitude and importance, and his attention was also directed to a number of other enterprises of private and public nature, in all of which the results of bis leadership were unmistakably apparent.

Mr. Mitchell retired from the bank presidency in 1894, since which time his private affairs have engaged his attention. By judicious investments he has become the owner of a large amount of valuable real estate in Kendallville and throughoul Noble county, as an agriculturist, and keeps fully abreast the times, ranking with the most successful and progressive men of this vocation in Noble county. His various real estate transactions have been uniformly fortunate, as has. also every undertaking to which he has addressed himself. .Mr. Mitchell assisted his father when the original plat of Kendallville was made and be has lived to see the town emerge from the forest, with a few log cabins and pole sheds and a population of perhaps a half dozen white families, and grow to be the industrial and commercial center of one of the mosl populous and fertile agricultural regions of Indiana. When he came to the place the red men were still numerous, and but few indications of civilization were in evidence. The few settlements were as niches in the surrounding forests and the prophecy of what the town has since become would hardly have been made by the most optimistic of the early pioneers.

In no part of our great state are the changes of last half century more strikingly illustrated than in the wonderful advancement and improvement that have marked the history of Kendallville. In its career fact has assumed the place of abstract theory and practice has ejected speculation from her throne. From a wilderness infested with savages and wild beasts the country has been reclaimed and transformed into a very Eden of plenty unsurpassed in all that tends to build up an enlightened community and make man content with his lot. In bringing about this wonderful consummation Mr. Mitchell from the beginning has been a wise leader and an untiring worker. Realizing the needs of the people he has ministered to them freely and unsparingly and in various avenues; his leadership has been fruitful in results, calculated to give stability to the community and shape its future destiny. Closely identified with the place since 1849, his history and the history of Kendallville during the intervening period have been pretty much one and the same thing. He still takes a pardonable pride in its prosperity, has a firm and abiding faith in its future possibilities, and makes every reasonable sacrifice within his power to convert these possibilities into verities. Foremost in every movement having for its object the public weal, Mr. Mitchell is destined to be remembered as one of Kendallville's most unselfish friends as well as its greatest benefactor. Mr. Mitchell is as much interested in the moral advancement of his city as he is in its material progress. He has always been an earnest advocate of temperance, a friend of churches, and his interest in the cause of education has aided materially in building up the splendid public school system which the city of Kendallville now enjoys. Reared a Whig he was an earnest supporter of that party until its disintegration, since which time he has been a Republican. While taking a lively interest in all political questions, he is not a partisan in the sense of seeking office, nor has ..e any part in the methods such as the politician resorts to in order to accomplish his ends. Mr. Mitchell is a believer in revealed religion, and for many years has been an earnest and devout member of the Presbyterian church of Kendallville. At the present time he holds the office of trustee and ruling elder in his congregation. While loyal to the church of his choice, he possesses a broad, catholic spirit which leads him to contribute liberally of his means to all denominations. In 1867 he donated to a private company twenty-five acres of ground for burial purposes, which was platted under the name of the Lake View Cemetery. He advanced means sufficient to defray all expenses until it became self-supporting, and it is now one of the most beautiful and tastefully arranged cemeteries in this section of the state. His interest in this attractive city of the dead has never flagged and since its organization to t'hie present time he has been officially connected therewith as treasurer and trustee, also general manager. On the 1st day of January, iqoi. the assests of the Lake View Cemetery amounted to $15,322.41.

Air. .Mitchell is a Mason of high standing, having taken a number of degrees, including that of Sir Knight. Mr. Mitchell was married on the 7th day of January, 1857. to Miss Sophronia Julia Weston, a resident at the time oi Rime City, Jnd.. but a native of Geauga county, Ohio. She was born in the town of Troy, August 10, [833, and was the daughter of Hon. John and Fidelia (Lamb) Weston. John Weston was born in Middlesex, Ontario county, N. Y., August 15, 1809. and died in Kendallville, Ind., February 9, 1881. His wife was born December 4, 1812, in the town of Bath, Steuben county, N. Y., and departed this life on the ist day of January, 1884. They were married December 9, 1830, and in 185 1 came with their family to Noble county, settling at Rome City, where Mr. Weston built a mill and engaged in the mercantile business. He was elected joint senator from the counties of Noble, Kosciusko and Whitley in 1857, and was prominent in local and state politics for a number of years. He and wife were active members of the Methodist Episcopal church of Rome City, and are remembered for their good work and liberal benefactions in the cause of religion, charity and benevolence.

John and Fidelia Weston had a family of nine children, namely: Elon D., Sophronia J., Eli B., John E., Elijah, Albert, Albert H.. Marilla and one that died in infancy.

Mrs. Mitchell was a lady of marked personal presence and possessed many sterling qualities of head and heart. Like her husband, she, too, was a member of the Presbyterian church and by her beautiful character and sweet, moral nature endeared herself to a large number of friends and acquaintances in Kendallville. She was popular in the social world, and being well versed on general topics and widely read in the best literature she was calculated to adorn any circle in which she moved. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell was blessed with the birth of three children, the oldest of whom. Lydia Agnes, born October, i860, married Terry D. Creager, of Kendallville. and died December 15. 1895. She left three daughters, viz. : Dorothy, Margaret and Catherine M.. all of whom make Mr. .Mitchell's house their home. The second daughter is Kate Rice, horn December 18. 1863, now the wife of Archey Campbell, of Kendallville. The youngest of the family, William, born August 23, 1865, is a clergyman of the Episcopal church with a charge at Redwood Falls, Minn. He is a young man of fine intellectual attainments, a popular minister, and has before him a career of usefulness in his chosen held of labor.

Thus, only too briefly, have been set forth the leading facts and characteristics in the 'life of one of Noble county's representative men. He has lived long and well, and his career throughout has been above reproach. In the language of another, "In social life he is a genial Christian gentleman. His domestic habits are pure and strong, and his home is the center of* a generous hospitaility. There, surrounded by his family and friends, he enjoys that repose which comes from a cordial interchange of kindly deeds with those near to him, ami without which life would lose many of its charms." To the above beautiful and well deserved compliment it may he added that never in the course of his long and useful life has Mr. Mitchell consciously wronged a fellow-man nor acquired one dollar of his fortune by questionable methods. "He has stood four square to every wind that blows," and is a striking type of the symmetrically developed man. Actuated by the highest sense of honor in all his relations with his fellow-man, he has tried to realize his ideal of manly living, and there is nothing in the future for him to fear.

West Virginia is the youngest state of the American Union east of Indiana, having been formed from the 'Old Dominion - the "Mother of Presidents" - and admitted as a full member of the sisterhood of states June jo, 1865 - the dismemberment of the old state of Virginia being one of the earliest political results of the Civil war. In the valley or at the foot of the romantic range of the Alleghany mountains which mark tinpresent dividing line of the two states on the east, some two or three years after the state was admitted the subject of this sketch had his nativity in Pocahontas county, which, as every schoolboy knows, was named after the historic and heroic Indian princess who preserved the life of one of Virginia's early English colonists. Captain John Smith, from the unreasonable malice of her father, Pownatan.

Jacob A. McLaughlin was born August 18, 1866. in Pocahontas county, as has been intimated above, and is a son of William J. and Susan E. ( Bible) McLaughlin, the former of whom died in his native state of West Virginia, November 27, 1887, and the latter of whom still survives in that state. Of their family of four children the subject of this sketch is the third in the order of birth and was reared on the home farm, which he assisted in tilling until his marriage, which felicitous event took place in Pocahontas county, W. Va., October 14, 1888, to Miss Sarah H. Gibson, who was born in that county on January 10, 1863, and who is a daughter of William and Polly F. (Gay) Gibson, the former of whom died January 21, 1901, and the latter still having her home in West Virginia. Of the family of Mr. and Mrs. Gibson, which consisted of nine children. Mrs. McLaughlin was one of the younger-born, and under the benign and health-giving atmosphere of her native hills and valleys grew to maturity as a perfect specimen of lovely womanhood.

In the spring of 1889, almost ere the bridal wreath had wilted. Mr. and Mrs. McLaughlin left their West Virginian home" and sought a new abode in Noble count}, Ind. They found a suitable farm of one hundred and twenty-six acres in Orange township, on which they settled and which they still occupy. This farm is improved with a handsome residence and well-constructed barns and other farm buildings, mhI is a very desirable homestead. Mr. Mc- Laughlin, although still a comparatively young man, is experienced in the vocation of farming and keeps his place in an excellent condition of tillage and succeeds in producing some of the best crops in the township.

While but a short time a resident of Noble count}-, Mr. McLaughlin has evinced a keen and commendable interest in local public affairs, and has manifested a desire to aid in every way the promotion of the general welfare. In politics a Republican, he freely advocates the principles of his part}' and aids it in every legitimate man- ner, but is not offensively forward in thrusting his convictions upon the notice of others, as he accords to every one the right to think for himseuf. In religion he and his wife adhere to the Presbyterian faith, are conscientious in following the teachings of their church, and socially the}' have secured through their affability many warm-hearted friends.

Hox. Jacob C. Zimmerman

To serve one's country, whether by force of arms upon the field of battle or in the halls of legislation, is a duty to which all American citizens are subject at the call of their fellow-men. and it is an axiom that he win ) cares best for the happiness and material welfare of those who form his household will prove the surest conservator m public office. Men do sometimes rise to positions of honor at the hands of their fellow-citizens who are totally unworthy, but the wisdom of our forefathers provided for such a possibility, and so framed our constitution that an unworthy representative would soon be condemned at the bar of public opinion and retired to an obscurity from which there is no recall.

Hon. Jacob C. Zimmerman, former representative in the general assembly of the state of Indiana from Noble county, and a prominent retired merchant, is a native of the Canton of Berne, Switzerland, that grand little republic which has so long maintained its independence amid the powerful empires and kingdoms of Europe. He was born October 25, 1827, a son of Daniel B. and Anna ( Messerli ) Zimmerman, both natives of Switzerland. The father was a mechanic in his native home, but on removal to America, in 1832, bringing his family of six children, he engaged in farming until his death. Three children were added to this family after removing to America, but of the nine born to Daniel and Anna Zimmerman five only are now living: John, the eldest, a tanner by trade, died in Wawaka, Ind., at the age of seventy-seven years, having located there in 1841 : the second was Anna, who died in Tuscarawas county. Ohio, the wife of Abram Donney ; the third, Elizabeth, resides in Marshall county, Ind.. the widow of John Bulman; fourth in order of birth is the honorable subject of this biography, Jacob C. ; fifth, Susan, the widow of Jacob Schwab, a farmer .of Noble county; sixth, Mary, wife of John A. Wagner. Tuscarawas county, Ohio; and Peggy, who married Jacob Dummermuth. also of Tuscarawas county. ( Him.

Hon. Jacob C. Zimmerman settled in Noble county, Ind., in 1X49, and worked as a carpenter until 1851. when he entered the emplo) of Judge Clapp, of Albion, as a clerk in his mercantile house. He remained thus employed for five years, and then formed a partnership with Owen I Hack, of Albion,. ;in<\ engaged in merchandising. One year later he sold out to Mr. Black, and in 1857 moved to Ligonier and engaged in business alone. He occasionally has had partners for a brief time, hut mosl of the time has been sole proprietor of the mercantile business in which he has been engaged for fortyfour years.

Mr. Zimmerman was married in this county in 1853, while a clerk in the employ of Judge Clap]). Miss Sarah J. Brown being the lady of his choice, who became the mother of three children: Greelev M..

Frank W. and Venona J. They are all associated with their father in his establishment. Greeley M. married Miss Ella Baker and they have two children: Beulah is the wife of Harry D. Stone, of Albion, and Bonnie is now a student in St. Mary's Academy at South Bend, Ind. The second child of Mr. and Mrs. Zimmerman, Frank, married Allene Kinsley, and is the father of one child, Francis K. The only daughter is the wife of Schuyler C. Sackett. All of the children have had the advantages of a thorough English education and are now profitably employed in business. In [876 Mrs. Zimmer- j man. the cherished wife, and mother of the above named children, answered to the summons and passed away amid the sorrowful lamentations of her loved ones: but her memory will ever linger around the lives of those most dear to her, and her heavenly consolation be made sweeter by the knowl- j edge that her upright and exemplary life on earth was not all in vain.

It has been truthfully said that "He who taketh unto himself a second wife shows the highest appreciation of his former consort." No doubt that is a truism not to be denied, ' and the domestic ties so rudely broken were in after years renewed by Mr. Zimmerman's marriage with Miss Callie Young. In 1890 she, too, died, leaving no children, however, and from that date the household of Mr. Zimmerman has had for its presiding ruler his accomplished daughter, who maintains the honor and dignity of the position with that grace characteristic of those to the manner born.

In politics Mr. Zimmerman has ever been an ardent and consistent Republican. and it is said that in his arguments to sustain the high position which his party occupies has often shown that real democratic principles can only be found as the result of the legislation enacted by the Republican party. Born amid the crags and peaks where liberty of speech and freedom of thought were first proclaimed as the universal heritage of mankind, it is not to be wondered at that aspirations of his youth and a father's teachings would find him, in the land of his adoption, other than a Republican - intensified if possible. His first vote in the land of his adoption was cast for the "Pathfinder of the Rockies,''- and from that time until the present his vote and influence has ever been given to Republican candidates for the presidency. In local affairs, however, he is fair and liberal and is not inclined to antagonize a good man of the opposition in favor of an inferior of his own persuasion. In 1861 he was elected trustee for Perry township, and served with distinction for seven years. So well did he perform his duties that, in 1876, he was chosen to represent his county in the general assembly, serving with distinction during the session of 1877. Subsequently he was appointed by the circuit judge as a member of the county council for 1900, serving until the succeeding election. His political life has been marked with that same care which he has his, private business, and his itlining the record of this eminent gentleman, of necessity it is brief as compared with what his full history would be, and we now turn to the fraternal anil religious record, which approaches nearer to the inner man. Among the first institutions established in Noble county, in 1853, when a few straggling hamlets and partially cleared farms comprised the improvements and evidenced her population, the Albion Lodge, F. & A. M., was duly instituted, and the first candidate who asked for admission and was subsequently admitted was Jacob C. Zimmerman. In after years he transferred his membership to Ligonier Lodge, No. 185. He is also a member of Noble County Chapter, Royal Arch Masons, No. 4_\ of Ligonier; member of Ligonier Council, R. & S. M., No. 59; also member of Apollo Commandery, No. 19, Knights Templars, of Kendallville, Indianapolis Consistory, having reached the thirty-second degree.

His religious views are evidenced by a consistent membership in the Presbyterian church, the faith embraced by his late devoted wife and the daughter now at the head of his household. His life has been all that a sincere devotion to right and kindly charity toward his fellow-men could make it, and the friends and admirers of his worth are to be found in all stations of life and wherever duty or business may have called him.

To the young his life is an example they may well strive to emulate. His success in business, whereby he has accumulated a handsome property, is the result of a fixed and honorable purpose in early life, from which nothing had the power to allure him. His large mercantile business, his home residence, his extensive farming interests which embrace over eleven hundred acres, and numerous private dwellings and business houses in Ligonier, are in testimony of what is possible to any young man with fixed purpose and honest application. His first and only start in life was a three-year old colt, which he sold for seventy-nine dollars, and it is from this humble beginning that he has accumulated his present handsome competency. Man, he says, is "never too old to learn." Being deprived of the educational advantages which surround the youth of to-day. his present scholastic ability has been acquired by constant study, the greater part of his education being acquired long after reaching years of maturity. Noble county may well feel proud to class him among her most prominent citizens. Knowing this, his example will have a strong influence on the many who have come within the sphere of his wholesome influence.

George P. Alenander

Kendallville has long been noted as a thriving industrial and commercial center, and its prestige in the business world is largely due to such men as George 1'. Alexander. His efforts toward advancing the material interests of the city are so widely recognized that they form no secondary part of his career of signal usefulness. He belongs to that class of representative Americans who, while gaining individual success, also promote the public prosperity. Such men stand pre-eminent among those who have conferred honor and dignity upon their places of -residence, no less by well conducted business interests than by upright iives and commendable conduct.

Mr. Alexander was born in Somerset county. Penn., April 7, 1844, a sou of facob and Elizabeth (Keller) Alexander. When he was two years old his father died, and some vears after that event his mother remarried and removed with her family to Wayne county, Ohio, where George P. lived until about 1852. He then accompanied the family to Allen county, that state, where he lived until 1855, in June of which year he came to Noble county, Ind., locating in Kendallville, where the mother died in October, 1878, aged seventy-eight. Her second husband was William Edmonds, a native of Pennsylvania, who died in 1865.

Jacob Alexander and wife had twelve children, of whom the subject of this sketch was the youngest born. While passing his youth at the various places where the family lived he attended the common schools, and while growing up assisted his mother :it home and by working for small wages at any honorable employment to which he could lay his hands. Since 1855, with the exception of the time spent in the service of his country during the Rebellion, he has been an honored resident of Noble county, interested in the material prosperity of the city of his choice and taking an active part in promoting its resources. When a young man he learned the plasterer's trade and bricklaying, and worked at the same in Kendallville and elsewhere until April, 1864, when he entered the service of the government by joining Company F, One Hundred and Thirty-ninth Indiana Volunteer Infantry. He served as first lieutenant until mustered out the following November, and the next January enlisted in Company C. One Hundred and Fifty-second Regiment, of which lie was commissioned captain.

Captain Alexander had command of his company until the expiration of its period of enlistment, August 30, 1865, and proved a popular and efficient officer. Entering the service toward the latter part of the war. his command was not very actively engaged, but what service he rendered was bravely and efficiently performed. He took part in several campaigns and left the army with a record creditable in every respect and a name for bravery which brought him to the. favorable notice of his superiors in command.

Returning to Kendallville, Captain Alexander engaged in general contracting and building, which he followed with financial success until 1876. During this time he erected many buildings of all kinds in the city and elsewhere and earned the reputation of a skillful and honorable mechanic, whose work was his best advertisement. In the fall of the above year he was appointed clerk in the railway mail service, in which capacity he continued four years and then resigned his position for the purpose of engaging in mercantile pursuits. During the succeeding fifteen years he carried on at Kendallville a large business in the grocery line, which proved lucrative to the extent of enabling him to retire with a handsome competency in 1894. Since that year Mr. Alexander has not been engaged in any particular business, devoting his time and attention to his private interests, which are large and important. He has served at different times in the city council, and while a member of that body took a decided stand for all legislation calculated in any way to benefit the municipality without trenching on the rights of the people. He has also been a member of the county council, and as such was untiring in behalf of the public interests, proving a safe and reliable custodian of the important trust committed to him.

Mr. Alexander united with Nelson Post, No. 69. G. A. R., a number of years ago and has been one of the society's most enthusiastic members. He has served as its commander, besides filling other official posi- turns, and some of his most pleasant hours are spent in the lodge room, where with old comrades he recalls incidents and reminiscences of the perilous times of long ago. He is also a Mason of high standing, having taken a number of degrees, including that of Sir Knight.

Mr. Alexander's marriage was celebrated June 18, 1868, with Miss Olivia Demmon, daughter of the late Leonard Demmon, of Allen township, Noble count)-. The mother's maiden name was Nancy Boughey. She is still living and has been a resident of Noble county since a very early day. Mrs. Alexander was born in Allen township, March 31, 184'), and has passed the greater part of her life withih the geographical limits of Noble county. She has been her husband's able and willing co-laborer in all the enterprises in which he has been engaged and has proven a factor in bringing about the success which is now his.

Mr. Alexander is in every respect a representative business man, and his present high standing is the result of superior intelligence and clear judgment, directed and controlled by wise forethought. In the affairs of business and of every-day life his actions have been governed by a high sense of honor, and during his long period of residence in Kendallville he has gained the confidence of all with whom be has had dealings of any kind. Socially he is quite popular, and those whom he meets or with whom he has business or other relations unite in pronouncing him a most genial, companionable and courteous gentleman. Mr. and Mrs. Alexander attend the Christian church. of which they are conscientious members and to the support of which they are liberal contributors. The}- have reared two girls.

Ida McClain, now the wife of G. E. Moody, of Arkansas City; and Theressa Miller, now with them at home, aged twenty, brightens the family circle.

Thomas Prickett

Was born in Elkhart county, Inch, February 11, 1833, a son of Jacob and Thirza I Pindell ) Prickett, natives of Virginia, and of English ancestry. In 1831 the parents came to Indiana and located on a farm in Benton township, Elkhart county. Here the father secured a mill, although he did riot follow milling as a business, being a blacksmith by trade. The father died in 1845, at the age of forty-nine years, and in 1850 his widow- became the wife of Peter Fraser, became the mother of one child and died at the age of seventy-one in 1879.

The family of Jacob and Thirza Prickett consisted of eight children, namely : Shelby, a promising young man, died in 1850; Nimrod is in the insurance business at Goshen, Ind. ; Susanna died at the same time of her father and both were buried in the same grave; Thomas, the subject of this sketch, is the next in order of birth; Jacob P. is editor of the Mail, published in Kosciusko county; Mahala married Samuel Stettler and died in 1864: Mary Jane became the wife of D. F. Ott. of Syracuse; and Nancy Ann married H. H. Dorsey, of Oswego.

Thomas Prickett was primarily educated in the public schools of Elkhart and afterward finished his studies at the Lagrange County Institute. He began life as a teacher, following the profession for a number of vears. In 1852 be made a trip across the plains to California, where he engaged in mining for rive years, returning to Elkhart by way of the Isthmus of Panama and New York City, landing in that city in the winter of 1857. He remained at home a short time and then went to Iowa, returning Home in the autumn and taking a school for the winter term. In the spring of 1858 he again went to Iowa, where he remained until i860, having rented a farm near Cedar Rapids. During the excitement incident to the discovery of gold near Pike's Peak, Colo., Mr. Prickett started for that place in the spring of 1859, but receiving unfavorable reports at about two hundred miles west of the Missouri river, he abandoned the trip and returned to Cedar Rapids and remained there till the autumn of i860, and went to Elkhart county, Ind., the same fall.